Do we over compensate for lack of elements?

Hi again all!

I know this question has been asked before..but with no definitive answers!! Do we really over compensate for lack of elements in our chart? e.g. lack of fire a really aggressive persona?

I just had a trip away with a group of people who were the FIRST ones i've ever met in my life who knew ALL about astrology...no astrologers per say but a very spiritually entitled bunch. We had a lot of fun guessing each others signs..and yes moon, rising, Venus ..EVERYTHING!! -most ordinary people do not have a single clue about all that!!

The reason i ask this is because a few said i had an 'air element' vibe to me, whereas they appointed a 'water element' to my mother. Air is actually the element i truly lack..only having the moon in Libra unfortunately. They sensed a lot of Libra in me ..whereas i only have one sign in it..and no one correctly guessed my rising sign! But i had some accurate appraisals for them?

Can anyone experienced tell me more about this?

thing with 'lacking elements' you need to look if you have planets in AIR houses to help compensate for issues....

Lack of elements http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18077
http://www.astrology-numerology.com/elements.html
http://www.astrology.aryabhatt.com/Astrology_Elements.asp
http://www.bobmarksastrologer.com/EmptyElement12.1.htm
http://www.astrologyclub.org/article.../inferior2.htm
http://www.nanceestar.com/elements.html

Hi,
I have to say that I really lack air in my chart....I only have pluot/nn conjunct in libra...and I don't know if I over compensate but most of my friends and my bf are full of air (lol). I know that with a lot of fire and earth, I'm very good at going my own way, getting things done and I do get respect for that, but I would say that my weakness lies in the realm of "air" qualities....I have to really work on communication, I'm not very comfortable in groups of people or social situations. I find I am interested in my own inner resources and life more than the "outer" world.
Thankfully I have a great family and friends who keep my growing and developing airy qualities...

My experience is that people don't tend to overcompensate for very weak or missing elements (by very weak I mean no personal points in that element). I think people are more likely to have nagging doubts about the missing element as they get older, perhaps 'choosing' partners who bring the element into their life. But I would say that efforts to compensate for the missing element are usually limited to transits (eg person with no Earth getting earthier under a Saturn transit).

But I also think that the defences put up by the strong elements, in order to keep the opposite element at bay, will usually mellow with age, thus allowing more space for the opposite element to creep in as the individual tends to relax into a more rounded old age. But I haven't seen much evidence of long-term conscious attempts to compensate for missing elements. Two opposite elements both strong in the chart usually mean that the more neglected of the two will strive for more expression, but missing elements don't seem to have much fuel generally speaking.

Having said that, I think someone with no air but, say a strong Uranus, or no water but a strong Neptune would be more likely to try to compensate.

These are casual observations rather than thorough research of course

Having said that, I think someone with no air but, say a strong Uranus, or no water but a strong Neptune would be more likely to try to compensate.

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i quite agree, but let's not forget secondary progressions, as we age and mature our sun sign moves changes as there is only 30' in a sign....then solar arcs could help, also changing Asc and MC's may well help compensate

My sun has just changed signs into cancer/6th house and I'm more and more concerned with health (which is normal for my age) but I'm trying to eat more healthier, by juicing lots carrots and fruit..

Yes, good point. Progressions can be very helpful in balancing the elements, especially together with a conscious attempt to become more rounded.

miquar said:

Yes, good point. Progressions can be very helpful in balancing the elements, especially together with a conscious attempt to become more rounded.

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Oh good! My sun has progressed to Libra and been there for years, now my ascendant will join the sun there in one year as well, surely that will be the start of something "beautiful" (it's venus's sign after all....).

I have pondered this question for decades. I do think those of us who lack an element spend more energy trying to acquire it, which is not the same thing as over-compensating. The deprivation acts as a stimulus in acquiring the characteristics of an element, is my hypothesis. I have no zero nada zip air in my natal chart, yet I do not believe that I lack the ability to view situations objectively, which is a common belief about air deficiency in a chart. On the other hand, this could be my extreme subjectivity talking. I have an exact moon-uranus conjunction, which I like to think brings air qualities into my perspective, but is that watery moon overcoming objective thought with emotion, or is airy uranus bringing detachment to emotional situations?

I have found the lack of air most noticeable, even my partner has this,(no air and only one in air house) I find they make 'sweeping statements' without enough thought behind speech. Sometimes just for effect, to hurt and wound......prone to exaggeration to. now as we are talking about communications (not emotions/moon) we then could look at how mercury is aspected. So IF it was hard aspect to mars that should help as mars is action, so they could talk quickly (without thinking) if it was hard aspect to pluto it could be acid tongue/verbal lacerations.....

heartmoon, having moon/uranus simply gives an 'emotional' need to be bit rebellious at times and broken relationship with mother,women and maybe wanting to do unsual things that feed the emotional nature....it would also add impatience and need for freedom and independence

twelthnight said:

Oh good! My sun has progressed to Libra and been there for years, now my ascendant will join the sun there in one year as well, surely that will be the start of something "beautiful" (it's venus's sign after all....).

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It will certainly add more need for 'beauty' colour coordinating but also add the typical libran 'indecisiveness' possibly more argumentativeness to.

Something I think lots of people still ignore to much is solar arcs, very similar to secondary progressions. As this moves the outers like sun for 1' for a year.

Astrologer50 - Hi ! I have a brother with NO air whatsoever!! He lacks social skills...and can't stand small talk..i think lack of air has to make every word/thought mean something and count..not so great at talking about the weather I'd imagine.

I do not have any air houses either - i do have a air asc/mec/pluto in sidereal - that's it!

Miquar - some really interesting points you have made..like you always have as i recall.

Astrologer50 i have something to ask - i only have one earth - neptune in Capricorn but does the fact i have three planets in the 10th plus one in the 2nd help the earth imbalance? My parents say i am really practical/sensible and non earth people are not supposed to be at all?

In a males chart the sun is said to be the strongest influence regarding ones personality/identity, In a females chart the moon is said to be the strongest influence, so having your natal moon in Libra will give you a strong "Air" influence, and as the above posters have mentioned the progressed chart shows the current expression of our progressed energies. If you post your birth details (or even a chart) then we should be able to point to where the air elements are strong, and where they are weak. Cheers C.

brooke24 said:

Astrologer50 - Hi ! I have a brother with NO air whatsoever!! He lacks social skills...and can't stand small talk..i think lack of air has to make every word/thought mean something and count..not so great at talking about the weather I'd imagine.
[I suspect this is the exception rather than the norm. Does he have anything in scorpio, mercury scorpio or planets in 8th house? or mercury aspected to pluto? that would account for this]
I do not have any air houses either - i do have a air asc/mec/pluto in sidereal - that's it!

Miquar - some really interesting points you have made..like you always have as i recall.

Astrologer50 i have something to ask - i only have one earth - neptune in Capricorn but does the fact i have three planets in the 10th plus one in the 2nd help the earth imbalance? My parents say i am really practical/sensible and non earth people are not supposed to be at all?

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Absolutely, it helps. There are lots of things that can help compensate, but the first thing to evalute is like lack of air -- do they have planets in air houses. How is there mercury aspected, like I explained earlier.

hearthmooon said:

I have pondered this question for decades. I do think those of us who lack an element spend more energy trying to acquire it, which is not the same thing as over-compensating.[but generally/most people do unfortunately. Those with lack of air can 'talk a lot of rubbish, or hurt and wound without thinking'] The deprivation acts as a stimulus in acquiring the characteristics of an element, is my hypothesis. I have no zero nada zip air in my natal chart, yet I do not believe that I lack the ability to view situations objectively, which is a common belief about air deficiency in a chart. On the other hand, this could be my extreme subjectivity talking. I have an exact moon-uranus conjunction, which I like to think brings air qualities into my perspective, but is that watery moon overcoming objective thought with emotion, or is airy uranus bringing detachment to emotional situations?

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You would if all your planets were bottom left quadrant. How is your mercury aspected please? do you want to post your chart? You know someone with abundance of air/fire tends to make someone a 'bookworm'

so lack of air could suggest someone who hates reading/researching as the attention of abundance planets are directed elsewhere like earth, being very practial - a doer or lots in water - someone who offers 'tea and sympathy'

Like I said earlier, all depends on how mercury is aspected as to how the brian and mouth are wired....

let me cite an example of my partner's lack of air. he has mercury scorpio 12th house, he CAN be private, secretive, but he *exaggerates* and say stupid things espec when ill like, "I'm dying, doctors say max 5years." initally this freaked me out, although he has been very ill, I doubt very much that doctors say he only has 5years left when he's only 43 now....He is very capable of *spinning a yarn* so I've learned, not to take sweeping statements seriously as I know he exaggerates soooo much.

He uses this scorpio manipulation to get control, exhort sympathy thereby getting what he really wants -control and attention

So what I'm saying is people who know you well will probably *overlook* this character flaw and look behind the statement to see what the real need is or simply ignore these kind of statements. Perhaps wanting to be centre of attention, or to get more attention, or to be centre of attention. In the example above my partner has leo moon which needs this kind of thing...

There are two other methods of divination within charts and that's researching midpoints, especially sun/moon and Asc/Mc (for asc/mc you need an accurate rectified TOB) which are the most important. Then also look at parallels, sometimes when a planet doesn't have an aspect to another planet they can be parallel which makes them like a conjunction aspect or contra parallel which acts like an opposition aspect.

I have saturn/uranus contra with no natal contact/aspect and this for me 'rains in' my Uranus rebellious side quite a lot. Uranus is my chart ruler AND conj sun/moon midpoint...

if you want links to explore these just say?

so another example, I have mercury retro taurus conj Asc/MC midpoint, but what if lack of air persona has similar or aspected to mercury scorpio or planets in 8th house, because all these would mitigate and want *deep and meaningful* but still occasionally they WILL come out with sweeping statement syndrome, for whatever reason...

If mercury doesn't aspect any of the above, look to parallel's mecury could be parallel pluto which would deepen the mind/thoughts and again would suggest wanting deep and meaningful rather than superficial...

I also lack fire in my chart. My only fire planet is Neptune (also chart ruler) though my Sun and Mercury are in a fire house. I never did feel as if I was lacking fire, though.

Good point about the progresssions. For the past couple of years my Moon was progressed in Aries and oh dear, was it ever uncomfortable. I got lots of things done, though but it was an emotionally very restless time. It has now progressed into Taurus and my need for constant change, and upheaval has considerably slowed down.

A very interesting point, brooke24.

"A lack of elements" can also point to one's singleton, I suppose. I've read on this forum in posts made by astrologer50, that singletons can be indicative of an area of life where a lot of energy funnels to.

My interpretation of this is that a person has a great preoccupation with the energies of the singleton and if this is a planet that is the only one in a particular element or mode or both, then it could indicate that a person is spending a lot of effort trying to achieve in this particular area but is not good at it.

My Pluto is the only planet in Air and Cardinal and on reflection I can say that I have spend a great deal of effort trying to compensate for my lack of air and lack of desire to initiate anything. By this I mean that I am not very intellectual or good at communication with Mercury in Pisces, 12th house, badly aspected and all.... and I have made great pains to try and hide the fact that I am really a lazy person who doesn't want to put in physical effort. Even though my progressed ascendant is in Aries (and my Sun was until recently), I still have to make a great effort to get up and go and it doesn't feel natural, nor is the results very successful.

Does that make sense?

bittermoon said:

Good point about the progresssions. For the past couple of years my Moon was progressed in Aries and oh dear, was it ever uncomfortable. I got lots of things done, though but it was an emotionally very restless time. It has now progressed into Taurus and my need for constant change, and upheaval has considerably slowed down.

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Haha, at least i know what to expect; infact its not surprising come to think of it, my Moon has been progressing through Aries for the past year and will do so until early 2013.. and i've already been planning on jumping on a plane to go overseas because i need radical change.

My Sun has also just progressed into Leo 1" soon to be conjunct natal Venus; it's slow but i definitley feel a real change in how i 'see' myself.. i seek out attention more then i ever did when it was in Cancer.

lazarusx said:

Haha, at least i know what to expect; infact its not surprising come to think of it, my Moon has been progressing through Aries for the past year and will do so until early 2013.. and i've already been planning on jumping on a plane to go overseas because i need radical change.

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I did exactly that. Several times!!! P Moon in Aries is great to initiate change and get things done... but I'm glad this rollercoaster has slowed down considerably.

Flowergirl said:

A very interesting point, brooke24.

"A lack of elements" can also point to one's singleton, I suppose. I've read on this forum in posts made by astrologer50, that singletons can be indicative of an area of life where a lot of energy funnels to. [so do handle of bucket charts ]

My interpretation of this is that a person has a great preoccupation with the energies of the singleton and if this is a planet that is the only one in a particular element or mode or both, then it could indicate that a person is spending a lot of effort trying to achieve in this particular area but is not good at it. [singleton's are different to lack of elements ]

My Pluto is the only planet in Air and Cardinal and on reflection I can say that I have spend a great deal of effort trying to compensate for my lack of air and lack of desire to initiate anything. By this I mean that I am not very intellectual or good at communication with Mercury in Pisces, 12th house, badly aspected and all.... and I have made great pains to try and hide the fact that I am really a lazy person who doesn't want to put in physical effort. Even though my progressed ascendant is in Aries (and my Sun was until recently), I still have to make a great effort to get up and go and it doesn't feel natural, nor is the results very successful.

Does that make sense?

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Very nice honest appraisal. I have a lack of air, but air Asc and but 4planets in air house and well aspected mercury althoug retro and conj Asc/Mc so I don't feel I have a lack of air, I definately don't come out with sweeping statements either.

Another thing to remember is *house systems* and the lack and compensation factors would change. For example, in placidus my stellium would move two full houses into 2nd house thereby adding more earth. I already have 4out of 10 in earth. But in Equal house my stellium is in the house of cancer/water, which helps compensate the lack in water element for me. I never have had much patience for doing *tea and sympathy* like the packed water charts, as 4,earth 4fire denotes someone practical who gets things done.....

I personally think lack of element means you have trouble channeling it. In other words it doesn't feel natural. For example; just because you lack air elements doesn't mean your not communicative or intellectual. One of the example support this is Albert Einstein. He only has 1 Air Sign in 1 planet (Jupiter); and he is credited as among one of the most influential to science.

I also want to say each element you lack are like soda can and when you shake it(struggle) and open(express) it will explode with the element you lack of.